Disney's long-in-the-works live-action Cruella movie has narrowed in on another big star in the form of Emma Thompson. We first heard of this new take on the famed villain from the 101 Dalmatians franchise nearly four years ago and it's been quietly coming together in the background ever since. Emma Stone was signed on to play the titular character and now, she's being joined by another very famous and highly-regarded woman by the name of Emma.

According to a new report, Emma Thompson is in talks to star in Cruella. It hasn't been specified who the Oscar-winning Howard's End actress would be playing, should the deal get done. What we know for sure is that Emma Stone will be playing Cruella de Vil, the villain who is obsessed with capturing all of those cute dalmatian puppies. Perhaps Thompson could be playing a mentor of sorts? For now, all we can really do is speculate since there isn't all that much to go on. Disney has yet to release any firm plot details. All we really know is that this is likely going to be a prequel to the events of 101 Dalmatians.

Emma Thompson, for her part, is about as accomplished as actresses come. Some of her roles include Sense and Sensibility, Love Actually and The Remains of the Day. Thompson also happens to have a good report with Disney as of late, having starred as author P.L. Travers in Saving Mr. Banks, as well as voicing Mrs. Potts in the recent live-action version of Beauty and the Beast, which grossed more than $1 billion at the global box office. Thompson is set to appear in Men In Black: International this summer, as well as the buzzy Mindy Kaling comedy Late Night.

Craig Gillespie, who is best known for directing the Oscar-nominated Tonya Harding biopic I, Tonya, has been tapped to direct the movie. Marc Platt, Kristin Burr and Andrew Gunn are on board to produce the project. Tony McNamara (The Favourite) penned the most recent draft of the screenplay. Dana Fox (Couples Retreat) had also worked on a previous draft. Kelly Marcel of Fifty Shades of Grey fame had been tapped to pen the initial draft in 2015. So this one has been through a few iterations up to this point.

Disney has had a great deal of luck with live-action takes on some of their animated classics. While some of faltered a bit (like Pete's Dragon), more often than not, they turn a healthy profit at the box office. While this won't be a direct adaptation, it is taking one of their more notable villains with a beloved actress in the lead role. This certainly has the potential to be a hit on part with some of their more well-received live-action remakes. We'll be sure to keep you posted as further details on the project are made available. Cruella is currently set to arrive in theaters on December 23, 2020. This news was first reported by Variety.